Three Hearts
by ashleyo85
Summary: Set towards/after the end of season 8. What happens when Penny unexpectedly finds out she is pregnant? Their lives forever changed, how will Leonard and their friends react? A one-shot related to my chapter fiction "The Friendship Reunification".


**This is a quick Leonard and Penny one-shot, related to my longer story The Friendship Reunification. It is set prior to the start of that story, and focuses on Lenny's unexpected pregnancy and birth of their first child. I hope you enjoy!  
**

* * *

Early May 2015

Penny sat on her bed and pressed her left hand firmly into her abdomen. Relieved that she didn't feel any different, she stared again in disbelief at the small white stick she was holding in her right hand.

Being late for her period was nothing new for Penny. Pulling a pregnancy test out of her bathroom vanity, she had followed the instructions and placed it on the sink to wait. She fully expected this test to be negative, like the dozens she had taken in the past. Hearing her phone buzz signaling the two minutes were up, she picked up the stick and instantaneously felt dizzy. Staring back at her was two very obvious pink lines.

Well that explains why I've been so hormonal and can't stand Leonard touching my boobs these last few weeks she thought to herself.

Walking over to her bedroom, Penny gingerly placed the stick on top of her dresser. Sitting down on her bed, Penny placed her head in her hands and let out a deep sigh. She was worried at how Leonard was going to react. They'd been engaged for nearly a year and knew that they both wanted children someday, but beyond that hadn't discussed it much. Penny had always assumed they'd be married for at least two or three years before starting a family.

Picking up her phone, she took a deep breath and texted Leonard.

 _Any chance you can get away early today?_

 _Maybe. I think my 4pm meeting with Dr. Gablehauser has been cancelled. What's up?_

Not wanting to give him any indication that something was bothering her, she replied:

 _Nothing. I just want to see you. I miss you._

 _:) I miss you too. I'll be home as soon as I can. x_

Heading into the kitchen, Penny opened the fridge to see two half empty bottles of wine staring back at her.

I guess I won't need these anymore she mused as she proceeded to pour them down the sink.

Feeling exhausted, Penny sat down on her couch and leaned back trying to brainstorm the best way to tell Leonard the news.

"OH. MY. GOD. YOU'RE PREGNANT!?"

Penny awoke to the sound of Leonard shouting from the bedroom.

I must have fallen asleep on the couch. How did I not hear him come in? She thought panicking.

Jumping up, she rushed into her bedroom to see Leonard standing with the stick in his hand.

"Shhhh Leonard! We don't need the whole building to hear you!"

Staring at Penny, Leonard whispered, "You're pregnant...THAT'S why you haven't let me touch your boobs these last few weeks..."

A nervous smile crept across Penny's face as she silently nodded.

"We're pregnant Leonard" she confirmed.

Setting the stick back down on the dresser, Leonard picked up his fiancée and spun her around the room. Laying her down on the bed, he crawled in beside her and pressed his lips to her forehead. Feeling tears escape his eyes, he once again repeated himself.

"We're going to have a baby. I'm going to be a daddy… and my beautiful fiancée is going to be a mommy!"

His realization caused Penny to once again start panicking.

"I know Leonard. Why are you crying? I thought you'd be upset. What are we going to do? We haven't discussed children. We aren't even married yet. Where are we going to live? How on earth can we raise a baby?" Penny fired off the questions in rapid succession.

Pulling her in close to him Leonard attempted to calm her down.

"I'm not upset Penny. I'm so very happy. I'm thrilled. I'm... I love you so much Penny. We can still get married before the baby comes. And we will continue to live here for the time being. A baby doesn't need its own room right away anyways. We are both adults with good jobs. We are more than capable of raising a baby. We have so many friends that would be happy to help..."

As Leonard continued to the reasons why they would be able to raise a baby, the realization once again dawned on him. Picking her up off the bed, he grabbed her hand rushing towards the front door.

"Come on! We have to tell everyone, they're going to be ecstatic!"

"No Leonard!" Penny blurted quickly before he reached the door. "We can't tell them. I haven't even seen my doctor yet. And the first few months are too risky. I don't want to tell anyone until I'm past the first trimester!"

Leonard looked disappointed, but reluctantly agreed with Penny. Pulling her over to the couch, he snuggled up with her to relish in the nervous euphoria.

* * *

Late May 2015

Nearly three weeks later, Penny couldn't believe how much her life had changed.

Her doctor had confirmed that she was indeed pregnant, giving her a long list of instructions including which vitamins to take and which foods to avoid. Deciding they wanted to save money for the baby, and no longer needed a fancy expensive wedding, she and Leonard had taken off to Vegas on a whim to get married. The ceremony was simple, yet intimate, and they were shocked to find out on their return that Amy had not only made her break from Sheldon a permanent one, but that she'd also accepted a job offer at Harvard, and would soon be moving across the country.

Now, celebrating their last girls night before Amy set off, Penny desperately wanted to tell them about her impending offspring. Remembering that she and Leonard had promised to keep it a secret for another month, she decided if Amy and Bernadette figured it out on their own, then she wouldn't have to feel guilty about it.

Handing them each a glass of wine, Penny plopped down in the chair across from them. Eyeing her suspiciously, Bernadette piped up:

"Forgetting something?"

Feigning confusion, Penny looked around trying to figure out what Bernadette meant.

"I think she's referring to the fact that you are forgetting to partake in the ritual drinking of the nectar of the gods" Amy clarified for her.

"Oh!" Penny said laughing. Jumping up she walked over to the kitchen and grabbed another wine glass. Looking back, she made sure that neither was watching her, and grabbed the jug of white grape juice from her fridge.

Returning to the living room, she set her glass on the coffee table. Still eying Penny, Bernadette questioned her choice of beverage.

"Why is your wine foamy. And why is it a different colour?" Grabbing the glass, she took a sip.

"This isn't wine! This is grape juice! Why are you drinking grape juice?" she squealed. Her eyes widened as she looked at Penny and the realization set in.

"OH MY GOD!" Bernadette shrieked as she practically flew over the coffee table to bear hug Penny.

Catching on a moment later, Amy joined in the group hug. "We're going to be aunties!" she exclaimed.

Penny grinned and laughed, celebrating with her friends.

"You can't tell anyone! Not even the guys." Penny begged as they eventually sat back down. "We found out a few weeks ago, but Leonard and I agreed not to tell anyone until I was past the first trimester. I just couldn't bear not telling you!"

The rest of the evening consisted of a very excited Bernadette and Amy peppering Penny with questions about how she was feeling, whether she was going to find out the gender, where they would live and everything else they could possibly think of. As their final girls night came to an end, Amy made Penny promise to Skype on a weekly basis so she could follow her baby bump development. She was beginning to wonder if she'd made the right decision in leaving California.

* * *

Mid August 2015

As difficult as it was, Leonard and Penny managed to wait until the three month mark before telling their friends, and did so casually over dinner one night. Bernadette pretended to be shocked, as did Howard and Raj. Penny rolled her eyes at their over-the-top reaction, wondering whether it was Bernadette or Leonard who had spilled the beans.

Sheldon on the other hand had reacted much worse than they had expected. Still distraught over having lost Amy, he had stormed out of the room angrily informing Leonard and Penny that a child was going to ruin their lives and ostracize them from their friends. And, he had added, just in case they were thinking about it, not to expect him to ever babysit the little brat!

As Penny's pregnancy progressed however, and she passed the point of people wondering whether she was pregnant or just gaining weight, Sheldon started to come around. He was fascinated by the small round bump that began to protrude from her belly, and Penny had even caught him referring to himself as Uncle Sheldon on occasion, although he still insisted he would never babysit.

Now, at 5 months along, the all day nausea she had been experiencing began to subside, and, much to Leonard's delight, she found herself craving sex all the time. Her little bump had become a medium sized bump, and she'd begun to feel flutters of movement from the little human inside of her.

The day of her anatomical ultrasound arrived and Penny was very excited. Leonard had wanted the gender of their baby to be a surprise, but Penny had finally won him over after dragging him on a rather unsuccessful shopping trip for gender-neutral baby items.

Laying down on the bed, she flinched as the ultrasound technician squirted the cool gel on her stomach.

"Cold!" Penny gasped

As the images began to appear on the screen, Leonard and Penny watched, mesmerized as their saw their baby's tiny hands and feet. As the technician entered the measurements into the computer, she pointed to the screen.

"Would you look at that!" She exclaimed. "He's sucking his thumb. Isn't that sweet!"

"He?" questioned Leonard?

Grinning, the tech moved the wand lower allowing them to clearly see the baby was a boy.

"Yes… see that little appendage there? Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Hofstadter! You're having a boy!"

Leonard gripped Penny's hand, who had tears in her eyes.

"It's a boy Leonard. We're having a boy. We're going to have a son."

Allowing his own tear to slip down his face, Leonard kissed his wife. "Our son's going to be smart and beautiful."

* * *

Late December 2015

Now eight months pregnant, Penny felt like she had swallowed a beach ball. Gone were the glamorous days of early pregnancy, replaced with days of swollen ankles, hot flashes, sleepless nights and constant heartburn.

Bernadette had offered to sneak Penny some of the new medications they were testing for pregnancy-related discomfort, but Penny, knowing the success rate of Bernadette's past studies, had politely declined.

Amy wasn't much more help. Despite the not-so-pleasant changes occurring to her body, Penny had kept true to her word and continued her weekly Skype sessions with Amy. Over the summer however, Amy had started dating a fellow professor from the Chemistry department, and had quickly fallen head over heels for him. Recently, their relationship had become intimate, and the majority of their chats now involved Amy recounting her recent dalliances in the bedroom, and Amy asking Penny for advice.

Sitting down at her computer for their final call before Christmas, Penny was surprised to see it was five minutes past seven. Amy was always punctual, and often was the one giving Penny grief for being late. Frowning, Penny pressed the blue call button and watched as it rang endlessly. Finally on the third try, a disheveled, red-eyed Amy answered.

"Amy?" Penny questioned, immediately concerned. "What's wrong!?"

"Now's not a good time Penny. I can't talk right now. I'll call you after Christmas."

"Like hell!" Penny blurted out, before Amy could hit the end button. "You look awful. What happened? Is it Andrew? If that hot to trot professor has hurt you, I swear to God I'm getting on the next plane and coming over there to kick his ass!"

The thought of Penny trying to squeeze into an airplane given her condition made Amy stifle a small smile.

"He's done nothing wrong Penny."

"And…?" Penny prompted. "You've had no problem sharing every last detail of your sex life with me; clearly you're upset about something, so you may as well spill Fowler because I'm not hanging up until you do!"

Penny watched as Amy stared at her keyboard. Finally, she saw Amy's lips move as she quietly whispered something.

"Sorry Ames, I couldn't hear you" Penny said turning up her volume.

Looking up at the computer screen, Amy looked scared as she repeated her previous words.

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

Mid January 2016

Penny was nine days overdue and very, very ready to get the baby out of her. Amy had helped her to research every labour-inducing old wives' tale there was, but nothing had even remotely worked.

Amy's news had completely shocked the group, affecting Sheldon particularly badly. Deep down, he'd secretly hoped his Amy would come back to him, and the news of her impending nuptials and pregnancy had crushed him. He had even begun to avoid Penny, informing Howard and Raj that it upset him too much to see her, as she now reminded him of Amy.

Finally, eleven days overdue, and the day before her scheduled induction, Penny woke up to a strange sensation and a warm feeling between her legs. Reaching down she realized what was happening, and quickly shook Leonard.

"Leonard! Wake up… it's time! The baby is coming!"

Leonard rolled over groggily, Penny's words taking a moment to set in. He suddenly bolted upright as he felt Penny's death grip on his hand as a contraction took hold.

Racing around the apartment grabbing his clothes and their hospital bag, he scribbled a quick note to Sheldon to let him know he'd have to find his own way to work that day. Helping Penny downstairs and into the car, he sped towards the hospital.

Penny's labour progressed quickly, and it was only mere hours after arriving at the hospital that she was ready to deliver. With the doctor's instruction, Penny gripped Leonard's hand as tightly as she could, screaming out as she gave a final push and felt their son enter the world.

Seeing his first cry as they placed him on her chest, tears began to stream down her face.

"Leonard" she breathed "It's our son. Our little boy. He looks just like you."

Leonard said nothing, choking back his own tears of joy. Bending down, he kissed his wife, and then his newborn son, and went to announce the birth to their friends and family.

Their son's first day was a busy one. After being checked and measured, the nurses cleaned him up before returning him to Penny. At nine and quarter pounds, they informed her that he was likely to be a very hungry baby.

Howard, Bernadette and Raj arrived in the early afternoon, bearing gifts and endless hugs. Howard was too afraid he'd drop the baby, so Raj and Bernadette happily took over his cuddle time.

Penny Skyped Amy to introduce her to the baby, and as expected she was hysterical with excitement. She began hoping for a boy as well so their children could be besties.

Early that evening, Penny lay nursing her son when she heard a small knock on the door. As it pried open ever so slightly, she was shocked to see Sheldon enter the room. Other than the odd uncomfortable encounter in the stairwell, he had been avoiding her for nearly two weeks.

"Sheldon!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you came! You hate hospitals!"

"I know. And clearly I've made a mistake." He mumbled, averting his eyes.

"Oh knock it off Sheldon, it's nothing you've never seen before. Get over here!"

Tentatively making his way over to the bedside as Penny did up her gown, he looked down at the sleepy babe.

Holding out her arms, Penny passed him to Sheldon.

"Sheldon Cooper, meet your new nephew. Isaac Henry Hofstadter."


End file.
